Summary of repeated and systematic Human rights violations in Ecuador

The civil society report, presented by the CODHAL Collective (CEDE, NOFEC, ALMA, ALI-HUMA, ADE and LEAL), addresses the critical situation in Ecuador during 2023, documenting a breakdown of the rule of law and a profound human rights crisis. 

Judicial independence was systematically attacked and compromised, with threats and violence against justice operators. This was exemplified by the controversial arrest of Wilman Terán and the constant use of political persecution against opponents (lawfare).

The 2023 presidential election process was severely affected by political violence, including the assassination of Fernando Villavicencio, the aftermath of which was politically manipulated, including the alleged extrajudicial executions of the perpetrators in prison. 

The report also highlights the dramatic intensification of violence, with 7,607 violent deaths in 2023, and the continuing prison crisis, marked by overcrowding and more than 500 deaths from massacres, raising serious questions about due process and safeguards.

Freedom of the press was curtailed, forcing journalists such as Andersson Boscán, who investigated scandals involving high-ranking officials in Guillermo Lasso’s government in corruption and drug trafficking, into exile.